On the beat siblings keep family tradition

A crime-fighting sister and brother act are among the new recruits patrolling the streets of Brighton.

Katie Salter, 23, and Joe, 20, are among 60 new police officers on the beat in Sussex.

The duo is the third generation of siblings in their family to work together – their father’s family as firemen and grandfather's in printing.

Ms Salter worked as a police cadet in Eastbourne aged 15 and for 20 months as a police community support officer (PCSO) for the Met police in London.

The former Brighton University criminology student said: “I’m very calm and am a good listener and my mum and dad suggested when I was young that I would make a good police officer. I thought it was a good idea.

“My hard work has paid off and I'm relieved. I have the badge to show I am a police officer and I am proud to have it.

“It is what I have wanted to be since I was 14.”

Her brother worked as a lifeguard and became the youngest duty manager of Hailsham Leisure Centre aged just 18.

He said: “I can handle stressful situations, keep people calm and take into account everyone's circumstances.

“I feel I can make a difference. I enjoy getting up in the morning and coming to work and hope I will for years.”

Seventeen of the new officers are patrolling Brighton and Hove, nine East Sussex and 34 in West Sussex.

Twenty-two new PCSOs are also getting on-street training after finishing the first part of their course.

Six-hundred people applied for PCSO positions during two-weeks of recruitment, many with language skills including in Eastern European languages.

Ania Raczynska, 35, has worked as a deputy manager in Eastbourne pubs for the last five years and is now a PCSO in the town.

She said: “I love interacting with people and I am looking forward to getting to know my community as well as them getting to know me.

“Being Polish gives me an advantage in assisting Slavic speaking people who, because of the language barrier, have difficulty accessing services.”

[quote][p][bold]Martin999[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]chrismilo[/bold] wrote:
So when are we having a Polish Priminister ?[/p][/quote]Just as soon as you learn to spell, i.e. never.[/p][/quote]Oooer matronchrismilo